The present invention relates to a paper-feeding device, and more particularly, to a paper-feeding device which is provided with a constitution allowing a paper-feeding cassette to be removably loaded into an image processing apparatus and securely locking the paper-feeding cassette so that the operator can be prevented from carelessly extracting it from the image processing apparatus during the paper-feeding operation.
Conventionally, there are a variety of image processing apparatuses like electrophotographic copying apparatuses or laser printers for example. Any conventional image processing apparatus is provided with a mechanism allowing the operator to easily change the paper size by merely replacing the paper-feeding cassette loaded in the paper-feeding device if copying papers having a different size should be used. However, since these conventional paper-feeding devices are not provided with a mechanism for inhibiting the extraction of the paper-feeding cassette, if the operator carelessly extracts the paper-feeding cassette from the paper-feeding device immediately after activating the copy-start switch, then, a controller inside of the image processing apparatus cancels execution of the entire copying operation. As a result, paper-delivery is stopped on the way, thus eventually incurring a jamming symptom and wasting the delivered copying paper as well. In particular, if the image processing apparatus is provided with a specific paper-feeding device allowing the paper-feeding cassette to be extracted in the direction 90 degrees apart from the paper-feeding direction, since the paper-feeding device can be normally installed to the lower front portion of the image processing apparatus, the operator can easily replace the paper-feeding cassette or replenish copying paper as required in front of the image processing apparatus. However, since any of paper-feeding devices feeds copying papers from the paper-feeding cassette in the direction 90 degrees apart from the direction of extracting the cassette throughout the image processing operation, if the operator attempts to extract the cassette while the paper-feeding operation is underway, the copying paper caught between the cassette and the image processing apparatus prevents the operator from extracting the cassette from the image processing apparatus, thus eventually making it too difficult for the operator to quickly dispose of the jammed paper. Likewise, even if the operator could narrowly extract the cassette from the image processing apparatus, the jammed paper will be torn into pieces which then stay in the paper-feeding path. As a result, this incurs much inconvenience to the operator to thoroughly remove the torn-up pieces from the paper-feeding path, thus eventually resulting in the waste of time spent for unwanted labor before the operator can resume normal copying operation.